diff --git a/cg-bid-net.el b/cg-bid-net.el
index 3ad484c..4f8a145 100644
--- a/cg-bid-net.el
+++ b/cg-bid-net.el
@@ -143,6 +143,17 @@ and a hand exposed by an open misère is revealed to everyone."
 
 ;;;; Apply a move on the host
 
+(defun cg-bid--net-holds-p (hand cards)
+  "Return non-nil when every card in CARDS is present in HAND.
+Multiplicity counts: naming one held card five times is not holding
+five cards.  Cards are (SUIT . RANK) conses compared with `equal'."
+  (let ((left (copy-sequence hand)))
+    (catch 'missing
+      (dolist (c cards t)
+        (if (member c left)
+            (setq left (cl-remove c left :test #'equal :count 1))
+          (throw 'missing nil))))))
+
 (cl-defmethod cg-net-apply-move ((game cg-bid-game) seat move)
   "Apply MOVE made by absolute SEAT to the host's 500 GAME.
 MOVE is (bid BID), (pass), (discard CARD...) or (play CARD).  Return
@@ -157,7 +168,8 @@ non-nil when the move was legal and applied, so the host broadcasts."
          (cg-bid--auction-act game seat nil) (setq ok t)))
       (`(discard . ,cards)
        (when (and (eq phase 'kitty) (eql (cg-get game :contractor) seat)
-                  (= (length cards) 5))
+                  (= (length cards) 5)
+                  (cg-bid--net-holds-p (cg-bid--hand game seat) cards))
          (cg-bid--discard game seat cards) (setq ok t)))
       (`(play ,card)
        (when (and (eq phase 'play) (eql (cg-get game :turn) seat)
diff --git a/test/card-games-tests.el b/test/card-games-tests.el
index f77f312..ccb298d 100644
--- a/test/card-games-tests.el
+++ b/test/card-games-tests.el
@@ -354,6 +354,33 @@ silent default."
     (should-not (cg-net-apply-move g 0 '(play (0 . 0)))) ; wrong phase
     ))
 
+(ert-deftest cgt-bid-net-discard-checked ()
+  "The host rejects a kitty discard of cards the seat does not hold.
+Finding 3 of the 2026-07-29 review: the other move checks were real,
+but a discard only counted its cards, and cl-set-difference silently
+ignores cards that are not in the hand -- so five phantom discards
+left a 15-card hand in play."
+  (let* ((cg-bid--human-seats '(0 1 2 3))
+         (g (cg-bid--deal (make-instance 'cg-bid-game) 3)))
+    ;; put the game where a discard is legal: West won the auction
+    (cg-put g :phase 'kitty)
+    (cg-put g :contractor 1)
+    (cg-bid--set-hand g 1 (append (cg-get g :kitty) (cg-bid--hand g 1)))
+    (let* ((hand (copy-sequence (cg-bid--hand g 1)))
+           (foreign (cl-subseq (cg-bid--hand g 2) 0 5)))
+      ;; five cards West does not hold: refused, nothing moves
+      (should-not (cg-net-apply-move g 1 (cons 'discard foreign)))
+      (should (equal hand (cg-bid--hand g 1)))
+      (should (eq 'kitty (cg-get g :phase)))
+      ;; one held card named five times: also refused
+      (should-not (cg-net-apply-move g 1
+                                     (cons 'discard (make-list 5 (car hand)))))
+      (should (eq 'kitty (cg-get g :phase)))
+      ;; an honest five from the hand is accepted and play begins
+      (should (cg-net-apply-move g 1 (cons 'discard (cl-subseq hand 0 5))))
+      (should (eq 'play (cg-get g :phase)))
+      (should (= 10 (length (cg-bid--hand g 1)))))))
+
 (ert-deftest cgt-bid-net-loopback ()
   "A 500 move travels client -> host -> filtered broadcast over TCP."
   (condition-case _